pre-race analysis expected that the stage would not favor sprinters like the previous stage had. The course included a cobbled climb by the Meuse River, on roads visited in La Flèche Wallonne, and another in the last to the finish line by the Citadel of Namur. It took two hours for a breakaway group to form on this stage. After a move instigated by Moisés Aldape, he and Amaël Moinard, Markel Irizar, Raffaele Illiano formed the day's escape. The peloton was content to let this group get away for a while, affording them three minutes advantage in the after Aldape first attacked. organized the chase, working for their captain, classics specialist Paolo Bettini, who was thought to be a favorite for the stage. Their lead started to dissipate as individual tactics began on the day's second climb. Aldape was first to the line and took sufficient points to gain the green jersey. About from the finish, Dario Cioni and Alessandro Petacchi crashed at the back of the peloton, going about at the time. Petacchi got up and, with the help of his teammates, made it to the finish some 14 minutes after the stage winner. Though he said he felt better after the stage than he did immediately after the crash, tests after the stage revealed that he had fractured his left kneecap and had to abandon the race. Though the crash afforded the leading quartet a little more time, they were easily caught by to go. The rain, which had been falling lightly throughout the day, intensified in the stage's final kilometers. Between and to go, no team forced the pace, and rode a tempo to try to keep their leader Ivan Basso safe. A rider crashed with just over to go, splitting what had been the pink jersey group into two. Alberto Loddo was the first to try to attack for the stage win. José Luis Rubiera countered with to go and appeared poised for the win until Stefan Schumacher passed him a few hundred meters later, winning the stage and the pink jersey. Stage 4 9 May 2006 — Wanze (Belgium) to Hotton (Belgium) The last stage in Belgium was undulating, with several small rises in elevation. Included among them were two categorized climbs often included in the Ardennes classics. The day's signature breakaway formed very quickly after the true beginning of the stage, which was expected